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Ge MJ, Chen G, Zhang ZQ, Yu ZH, Shen JX, Pan C, Han F, Xu H, Zhu XL, Lu YP. Chronic restraint stress induces depression-like behaviors and alterations in the afferent projections of medial prefrontal cortex from multiple brain regions in mice. Brain Res Bull 2024; 213:110981. [PMID: 38777132 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.110981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) forms output pathways through projection neurons, inversely receiving adjacent and long-range inputs from other brain regions. However, how afferent neurons of mPFC are affected by chronic stress needs to be clarified. In this study, the effects of chronic restraint stress (CRS) on the distribution density of mPFC dendrites/dendritic spines and the projections from the cortex and subcortical brain regions to the mPFC were investigated. METHODS In the present study, C57BL/6 J transgenic (Thy1-YFP-H) mice were subjected to CRS to establish an animal model of depression. The infralimbic (IL) of mPFC was selected as the injection site of retrograde AAV using stereotactic technique. The effects of CRS on dendrites/dendritic spines and afferent neurons of the mPFC IL were investigaed by quantitatively assessing the distribution density of green fluorescent (YFP) positive dendrites/dendritic spines and red fluorescent (retrograde AAV recombinant protein) positive neurons, respectively. RESULTS The results revealed that retrograde tracing virus labeled neurons were widely distributed in ipsilateral and contralateral cingulate cortex (Cg1), second cingulate cortex (Cg2), prelimbic cortex (PrL), infralimbic cortex, medial orbital cortex (MO), and dorsal peduncular cortex (DP). The effects of CRS on the distribution density of mPFC red fluorescence positive neurons exhibited regional differences, ranging from rostral to caudal or from top to bottom. Simultaneously, CRS resulted a decrease in the distribution density of basal, proximal and distal dendrites, as well as an increase in the loss of dendritic spines of the distal dendrites in the IL of mPFC. Furthermore, varying degrees of red retrograde tracing virus fluorescence signals were observed in other cortices, amygdala, hippocampus, septum/basal forebrain, hypothalamus, thalamus, mesencephalon, and brainstem in both ipsilateral and contralateral brain. CRS significantly reduced the distribution density of red fluorescence positive neurons in other cortices, hippocampus, septum/basal forebrain, hypothalamus, and thalamus. Conversely, CRS significantly increased the distribution density of red fluorescence positive neurons in amygdala. CONCLUSION Our results suggest a possible mechanism that CRS leads to disturbances in synaptic plasticity by affecting multiple inputs to the mPFC, which is characterized by a decrease in the distribution density of dendrites/dendritic spines in the IL of mPFC and a reduction in input neurons of multiple cortices to the IL of mPFC as well as an increase in input neurons of amygdala to the IL of mPFC, ultimately causing depression-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Jun Ge
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Geng Chen
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Zhen-Qiang Zhang
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Zong-Hao Yu
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Jun-Xian Shen
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Chuan Pan
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Fei Han
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Hui Xu
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China; Anhui College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 18 Wuxiashan West Road, Wuhu 241002, China
| | - Xiu-Ling Zhu
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China; Department of Anatomy, Wannan Medical College, No. 22 Wenchang West Road, Wuhu 241002, China
| | - Ya-Ping Lu
- College of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, No. 1 Beijing East Road, Wuhu 241000, China.
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Higa GSV, Viana FJC, Francis-Oliveira J, Cruvinel E, Franchin TS, Marcourakis T, Ulrich H, De Pasquale R. Serotonergic neuromodulation of synaptic plasticity. Neuropharmacology 2024; 257:110036. [PMID: 38876308 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity constitutes a fundamental process in the reorganization of neural networks that underlie memory, cognition, emotional responses, and behavioral planning. At the core of this phenomenon lie Hebbian mechanisms, wherein frequent synaptic stimulation induces long-term potentiation (LTP), while less activation leads to long-term depression (LTD). The synaptic reorganization of neuronal networks is regulated by serotonin (5-HT), a neuromodulator capable of modify synaptic plasticity to appropriately respond to mental and behavioral states, such as alertness, attention, concentration, motivation, and mood. Lately, understanding the serotonergic Neuromodulation of synaptic plasticity has become imperative for unraveling its impact on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions. Through a comparative analysis across three main forebrain structures-the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, this review discusses the actions of 5-HT on synaptic plasticity, offering insights into its role as a neuromodulator involved in emotional and cognitive functions. By distinguishing between plastic and metaplastic effects, we provide a comprehensive overview about the mechanisms of 5-HT neuromodulation of synaptic plasticity and associated functions across different brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Shigueto Vilar Higa
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil; Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química (USP), Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Felipe José Costa Viana
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - José Francis-Oliveira
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA
| | - Emily Cruvinel
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Thainá Soares Franchin
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Tania Marcourakis
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Henning Ulrich
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química (USP), Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Roberto De Pasquale
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Universidade de São Paulo, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil.
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3
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Hegedüs P, Király B, Schlingloff D, Lyakhova V, Velencei A, Szabó Í, Mayer MI, Zelenak Z, Nyiri G, Hangya B. Parvalbumin-expressing basal forebrain neurons mediate learning from negative experience. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4768. [PMID: 38849336 PMCID: PMC11161511 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48755-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Parvalbumin (PV)-expressing GABAergic neurons of the basal forebrain (BFPVNs) were proposed to serve as a rapid and transient arousal system, yet their exact role in awake behaviors remains unclear. We performed bulk calcium measurements and electrophysiology with optogenetic tagging from the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca (HDB) while male mice were performing an associative learning task. BFPVNs responded with a distinctive, phasic activation to punishment, but showed slower and delayed responses to reward and outcome-predicting stimuli. Optogenetic inhibition during punishment impaired the formation of cue-outcome associations, suggesting a causal role of BFPVNs in associative learning. BFPVNs received strong inputs from the hypothalamus, the septal complex and the median raphe region, while they synapsed on diverse cell types in key limbic structures, where they broadcasted information about aversive stimuli. We propose that the arousing effect of BFPVNs is recruited by aversive stimuli to serve crucial associative learning functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panna Hegedüs
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, H-1085, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bálint Király
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dániel Schlingloff
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Victoria Lyakhova
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, H-1085, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anna Velencei
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Írisz Szabó
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márton I Mayer
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsofia Zelenak
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Nyiri
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Hangya
- Lendület Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, HUN-REN Institute of Experimental Medicine, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary.
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Monosov IE, Zimmermann J, Frank MJ, Mathis MW, Baker JT. Ethological computational psychiatry: Challenges and opportunities. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 86:102881. [PMID: 38696972 PMCID: PMC11162904 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Studying the intricacies of individual subjects' moods and cognitive processing over extended periods of time presents a formidable challenge in medicine. While much of systems neuroscience appropriately focuses on the link between neural circuit functions and well-constrained behaviors over short timescales (e.g., trials, hours), many mental health conditions involve complex interactions of mood and cognition that are non-stationary across behavioral contexts and evolve over extended timescales. Here, we discuss opportunities, challenges, and possible future directions in computational psychiatry to quantify non-stationary continuously monitored behaviors. We suggest that this exploratory effort may contribute to a more precision-based approach to treating mental disorders and facilitate a more robust reverse translation across animal species. We conclude with ethical considerations for any field that aims to bridge artificial intelligence and patient monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya E. Monosov
- Departments of Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jan Zimmermann
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Michael J. Frank
- Carney Center for Computational Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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5
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Özçete ÖD, Banerjee A, Kaeser PS. Mechanisms of neuromodulatory volume transmission. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02608-3. [PMID: 38789677 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02608-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
A wealth of neuromodulatory transmitters regulate synaptic circuits in the brain. Their mode of signaling, often called volume transmission, differs from classical synaptic transmission in important ways. In synaptic transmission, vesicles rapidly fuse in response to action potentials and release their transmitter content. The transmitters are then sensed by nearby receptors on select target cells with minimal delay. Signal transmission is restricted to synaptic contacts and typically occurs within ~1 ms. Volume transmission doesn't rely on synaptic contact sites and is the main mode of monoamines and neuropeptides, important neuromodulators in the brain. It is less precise than synaptic transmission, and the underlying molecular mechanisms and spatiotemporal scales are often not well understood. Here, we review literature on mechanisms of volume transmission and raise scientific questions that should be addressed in the years ahead. We define five domains by which volume transmission systems can differ from synaptic transmission and from one another. These domains are (1) innervation patterns and firing properties, (2) transmitter synthesis and loading into different types of vesicles, (3) architecture and distribution of release sites, (4) transmitter diffusion, degradation, and reuptake, and (5) receptor types and their positioning on target cells. We discuss these five domains for dopamine, a well-studied monoamine, and then compare the literature on dopamine with that on norepinephrine and serotonin. We include assessments of neuropeptide signaling and of central acetylcholine transmission. Through this review, we provide a molecular and cellular framework for volume transmission. This mechanistic knowledge is essential to define how neuromodulatory systems control behavior in health and disease and to understand how they are modulated by medical treatments and by drugs of abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özge D Özçete
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Aditi Banerjee
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Pascal S Kaeser
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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6
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Crombie D, Spacek MA, Leibold C, Busse L. Spiking activity in the visual thalamus is coupled to pupil dynamics across temporal scales. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002614. [PMID: 38743775 PMCID: PMC11093384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The processing of sensory information, even at early stages, is influenced by the internal state of the animal. Internal states, such as arousal, are often characterized by relating neural activity to a single "level" of arousal, defined by a behavioral indicator such as pupil size. In this study, we expand the understanding of arousal-related modulations in sensory systems by uncovering multiple timescales of pupil dynamics and their relationship to neural activity. Specifically, we observed a robust coupling between spiking activity in the mouse dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus and pupil dynamics across timescales spanning a few seconds to several minutes. Throughout all these timescales, 2 distinct spiking modes-individual tonic spikes and tightly clustered bursts of spikes-preferred opposite phases of pupil dynamics. This multi-scale coupling reveals modulations distinct from those captured by pupil size per se, locomotion, and eye movements. Furthermore, coupling persisted even during viewing of a naturalistic movie, where it contributed to differences in the encoding of visual information. We conclude that dLGN spiking activity is under the simultaneous influence of multiple arousal-related processes associated with pupil dynamics occurring over a broad range of timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Crombie
- Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martin A. Spacek
- Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Fakultät für Biologie & Bernstein Center Freiburg, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Munich, Germany
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7
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Pierson SR, Kolling LJ, James TD, Pushpavathi SG, Marcinkiewcz CA. Serotonergic dysfunction may mediate the relationship between alcohol consumption and Alzheimer's disease. Pharmacol Res 2024; 203:107171. [PMID: 38599469 PMCID: PMC11088857 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The impact of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its related dementias is rapidly expanding, and its mitigation remains an urgent social and technical challenge. To date there are no effective treatments or interventions for AD, but recent studies suggest that alcohol consumption is correlated with the risk of developing dementia. In this review, we synthesize data from preclinical, clinical, and epidemiological models to evaluate the combined role of alcohol consumption and serotonergic dysfunction in AD, underscoring the need for further research on this topic. We first discuss the limitations inherent to current data-collection methods, and how neuropsychiatric symptoms common among AD, alcohol use disorder, and serotonergic dysfunction may mask their co-occurrence. We additionally describe how excess alcohol consumption may accelerate the development of AD via direct effects on serotonergic function, and we explore the roles of neuroinflammation and proteostasis in mediating the relationship between serotonin, alcohol consumption, and AD. Lastly, we argue for a shift in current research to disentangle the pathogenic effects of alcohol on early-affected brainstem structures in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Pierson
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, United States
| | - Louis J Kolling
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, United States
| | - Thomas D James
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, United States
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Osuch B, Misztal T, Pałatyńska K, Tomaszewska-Zaremba D. Implications of Kynurenine Pathway Metabolism for the Immune System, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, and Neurotransmission in Alcohol Use Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4845. [PMID: 38732064 PMCID: PMC11084367 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a marked increase in interest in the role of the kynurenine pathway (KP) in mechanisms associated with addictive behavior. Numerous reports implicate KP metabolism in influencing the immune system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and neurotransmission, which underlie the behavioral patterns characteristic of addiction. An in-depth analysis of the results of these new studies highlights interesting patterns of relationships, and approaching alcohol use disorder (AUD) from a broader neuroendocrine-immune system perspective may be crucial to better understanding this complex phenomenon. In this review, we provide an up-to-date summary of information indicating the relationship between AUD and the KP, both in terms of changes in the activity of this pathway and modulation of this pathway as a possible pharmacological approach for the treatment of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bartosz Osuch
- Department of Animal Physiology, The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Instytucka 3, 05-110 Jabłonna, Poland; (T.M.); (K.P.); (D.T.-Z.)
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9
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Li Y, Duan J, Li Y, Zhang M, Wu J, Wang G, Li S, Hu Z, Qu Y, Li Y, Hu X, Guo F, Cao L, Lu J. Transcriptomic profiling across human serotonin neuron differentiation via the FEV reporter system. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:107. [PMID: 38637896 PMCID: PMC11027224 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03728-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The detailed transcriptomic profiles during human serotonin neuron (SN) differentiation remain elusive. The establishment of a reporter system based on SN terminal selector holds promise to produce highly-purified cells with an early serotonergic fate and help elucidate the molecular events during human SN development process. METHODS A fifth Ewing variant (FEV)-EGFP reporter system was established by CRISPR/Cas9 technology to indicate SN since postmitotic stage. FACS was performed to purify SN from the heterogeneous cell populations. RNA-sequencing analysis was performed for cells at four key stages of differentiation (pluripotent stem cells, serotonergic neural progenitors, purified postmitotic SN and purifed mature SN) to explore the transcriptomic dynamics during SN differentiation. RESULTS We found that human serotonergic fate specification may commence as early as day 21 of differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells. Furthermore, the transcriptional factors ZIC1, HOXA2 and MSX2 were identified as the hub genes responsible for orchestrating serotonergic fate determination. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, we exposed the developmental transcriptomic profiles of human SN via FEV reporter system, which will further our understanding for the development process of human SN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingqi Li
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinjin Duan
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - You Li
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meihui Zhang
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaan Wu
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guanhao Wang
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuanqing Li
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhangsen Hu
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Qu
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunhe Li
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiran Hu
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Lining Cao
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jianfeng Lu
- Shanghai YangZhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
- Suzhou Institute of Tongji University, Suzhou, China.
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Gilmour W, Mackenzie G, Feile M, Tayler-Grint L, Suveges S, Macfarlane JA, Macleod AD, Marshall V, Grunwald IQ, Steele JD, Gilbertson T. Impaired value-based decision-making in Parkinson's disease apathy. Brain 2024; 147:1362-1376. [PMID: 38305691 PMCID: PMC10994558 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Apathy is a common and disabling complication of Parkinson's disease characterized by reduced goal-directed behaviour. Several studies have reported dysfunction within prefrontal cortical regions and projections from brainstem nuclei whose neuromodulators include dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. Work in animal and human neuroscience have confirmed contributions of these neuromodulators on aspects of motivated decision-making. Specifically, these neuromodulators have overlapping contributions to encoding the value of decisions, and influence whether to explore alternative courses of action or persist in an existing strategy to achieve a rewarding goal. Building upon this work, we hypothesized that apathy in Parkinson's disease should be associated with an impairment in value-based learning. Using a four-armed restless bandit reinforcement learning task, we studied decision-making in 75 volunteers; 53 patients with Parkinson's disease, with and without clinical apathy, and 22 age-matched healthy control subjects. Patients with apathy exhibited impaired ability to choose the highest value bandit. Task performance predicted an individual patient's apathy severity measured using the Lille Apathy Rating Scale (R = -0.46, P < 0.001). Computational modelling of the patient's choices confirmed the apathy group made decisions that were indifferent to the learnt value of the options, consistent with previous reports of reward insensitivity. Further analysis demonstrated a shift away from exploiting the highest value option and a reduction in perseveration, which also correlated with apathy scores (R = -0.5, P < 0.001). We went on to acquire functional MRI in 59 volunteers; a group of 19 patients with and 20 without apathy and 20 age-matched controls performing the Restless Bandit Task. Analysis of the functional MRI signal at the point of reward feedback confirmed diminished signal within ventromedial prefrontal cortex in Parkinson's disease, which was more marked in apathy, but not predictive of their individual apathy severity. Using a model-based categorization of choice type, decisions to explore lower value bandits in the apathy group activated prefrontal cortex to a similar degree to the age-matched controls. In contrast, Parkinson's patients without apathy demonstrated significantly increased activation across a distributed thalamo-cortical network. Enhanced activity in the thalamus predicted individual apathy severity across both patient groups and exhibited functional connectivity with dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula. Given that task performance in patients without apathy was no different to the age-matched control subjects, we interpret the recruitment of this network as a possible compensatory mechanism, which compensates against symptomatic manifestation of apathy in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Gilmour
- Division of Imaging Science and Technology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
- Department of Neurology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Graeme Mackenzie
- Division of Imaging Science and Technology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
- Department of Neurology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Mathias Feile
- Rehabilitation Psychiatry, Murray Royal Hospital, Perth PH2 7BH, UK
| | | | - Szabolcs Suveges
- Division of Imaging Science and Technology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Jennifer A Macfarlane
- Division of Imaging Science and Technology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
- Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
- SINAPSE, University of Glasgow, Imaging Centre of Excellence, Level 2, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow G51 4TF, Scotland, UK
| | - Angus D Macleod
- Institute of Applied Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB24 2ZD, UK
- Department of Neurology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB24 2ZD, UK
| | - Vicky Marshall
- Institute of Neurological Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow G51 4TF, UK
| | - Iris Q Grunwald
- Division of Imaging Science and Technology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - J Douglas Steele
- Division of Imaging Science and Technology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Tom Gilbertson
- Division of Imaging Science and Technology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
- Department of Neurology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, UK
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11
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Batten SR, Bang D, Kopell BH, Davis AN, Heflin M, Fu Q, Perl O, Ziafat K, Hashemi A, Saez I, Barbosa LS, Twomey T, Lohrenz T, White JP, Dayan P, Charney AW, Figee M, Mayberg HS, Kishida KT, Gu X, Montague PR. Dopamine and serotonin in human substantia nigra track social context and value signals during economic exchange. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:718-728. [PMID: 38409356 PMCID: PMC11045309 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01831-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine and serotonin are hypothesized to guide social behaviours. In humans, however, we have not yet been able to study neuromodulator dynamics as social interaction unfolds. Here, we obtained subsecond estimates of dopamine and serotonin from human substantia nigra pars reticulata during the ultimatum game. Participants, who were patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing awake brain surgery, had to accept or reject monetary offers of varying fairness from human and computer players. They rejected more offers in the human than the computer condition, an effect of social context associated with higher overall levels of dopamine but not serotonin. Regardless of the social context, relative changes in dopamine tracked trial-by-trial changes in offer value-akin to reward prediction errors-whereas serotonin tracked the current offer value. These results show that dopamine and serotonin fluctuations in one of the basal ganglia's main output structures reflect distinct social context and value signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth R Batten
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA.
| | - Dan Bang
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA.
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Brian H Kopell
- Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neuromodulation, Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arianna N Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew Heflin
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qixiu Fu
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ofer Perl
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kimia Ziafat
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alice Hashemi
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ignacio Saez
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leonardo S Barbosa
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Thomas Twomey
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Terry Lohrenz
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Jason P White
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Peter Dayan
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alexander W Charney
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martijn Figee
- Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neuromodulation, Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Helen S Mayberg
- Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Neuromodulation, Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kenneth T Kishida
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Xiaosi Gu
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Computational Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - P Read Montague
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, USA.
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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12
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Mohebi A, Wei W, Pelattini L, Kim K, Berke JD. Dopamine transients follow a striatal gradient of reward time horizons. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:737-746. [PMID: 38321294 PMCID: PMC11001583 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01566-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Animals make predictions to guide their behavior and update those predictions through experience. Transient increases in dopamine (DA) are thought to be critical signals for updating predictions. However, it is unclear how this mechanism handles a wide range of behavioral timescales-from seconds or less (for example, if singing a song) to potentially hours or more (for example, if hunting for food). Here we report that DA transients in distinct rat striatal subregions convey prediction errors based on distinct time horizons. DA dynamics systematically accelerated from ventral to dorsomedial to dorsolateral striatum, in the tempo of spontaneous fluctuations, the temporal integration of prior rewards and the discounting of future rewards. This spectrum of timescales for evaluative computations can help achieve efficient learning and adaptive motivation for a broad range of behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mohebi
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lilian Pelattini
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kyoungjun Kim
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joshua D Berke
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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13
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Mitsui K, Takahashi A. Aggression modulator: Understanding the multifaceted role of the dorsal raphe nucleus. Bioessays 2024; 46:e2300213. [PMID: 38314963 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202300213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Aggressive behavior is instinctively driven behavior that helps animals to survive and reproduce and is closely related to multiple behavioral and physiological processes. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is an evolutionarily conserved midbrain structure that regulates aggressive behavior by integrating diverse brain inputs. The DRN consists predominantly of serotonergic (5-HT:5-hydroxytryptamine) neurons and decreased 5-HT activity was classically thought to increase aggression. However, recent studies challenge this 5-HT deficiency model, revealing a more complex role for the DRN 5-HT system in aggression. Furthermore, emerging evidence has shown that non-5-HT populations in the DRN and specific neural circuits contribute to the escalation of aggressive behavior. This review argues that the DRN serves as a multifaceted modulator of aggression, acting not only via 5-HT but also via other neurotransmitters and neural pathways, as well as different subsets of 5-HT neurons. In addition, we discuss the contribution of DRN neurons in the behavioral and physiological aspects implicated in aggressive behavior, such as arousal, reward, and impulsivity, to further our understanding of DRN-mediated aggression modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koshiro Mitsui
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Aki Takahashi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Institute of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
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14
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Ramkumar R, Edge-Partington M, Terstege DJ, Adigun K, Ren Y, Khan NS, Rouhi N, Jamani NF, Tsutsui M, Epp JR, Sargin D. Long-Term Impact of Early Life Stress on Serotonin Connectivity. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)00073-8. [PMID: 38316332 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic childhood stress is a prominent risk factor for developing affective disorders, yet mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Maintenance of optimal serotonin (5-HT) levels during early postnatal development is critical for the maturation of brain circuits. Understanding the long-lasting effects of early life stress (ELS) on serotonin-modulated brain connectivity is crucial to develop treatments for affective disorders arising from childhood stress. METHODS Using a mouse model of chronic developmental stress, we determined the long-lasting consequences of ELS on 5-HT circuits and behavior in females and males. Using FosTRAP mice, we cross-correlated regional c-Fos density to determine brain-wide functional connectivity of the raphe nucleus. We next performed in vivo fiber photometry to establish ELS-induced deficits in 5-HT dynamics and optogenetics to stimulate 5-HT release to improve behavior. RESULTS Adult female and male mice exposed to ELS showed heightened anxiety-like behavior. ELS further enhanced susceptibility to acute stress by disrupting the brain-wide functional connectivity of the raphe nucleus and the activity of 5-HT neuron population, in conjunction with increased orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) activity and disrupted 5-HT release in medial OFC. Optogenetic stimulation of 5-HT terminals in the medial OFC elicited an anxiolytic effect in ELS mice in a sex-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a significant disruption in 5-HT-modulated brain connectivity in response to ELS, with implications for sex-dependent vulnerability. The anxiolytic effect of the raphe-medial OFC circuit stimulation has potential implications for developing targeted stimulation-based treatments for affective disorders that arise from early life adversities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raksha Ramkumar
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Moriah Edge-Partington
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dylan J Terstege
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kabirat Adigun
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yi Ren
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nazmus S Khan
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nahid Rouhi
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Naila F Jamani
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mio Tsutsui
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jonathan R Epp
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Derya Sargin
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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15
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De Filippo R, Schmitz D. Synthetic surprise as the foundation of the psychedelic experience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105538. [PMID: 38220035 PMCID: PMC10839673 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Psychedelic agents, such as LSD and psilocybin, induce marked alterations in consciousness via activation of the 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2ARs). We hypothesize that psychedelics enforce a state of synthetic surprise through the biased activation of the 5-HTRs system. This idea is informed by recent insights into the role of 5-HT in signaling surprise. The effects on consciousness, explained by the cognitive penetrability of perception, can be described within the predictive coding framework where surprise corresponds to prediction error, the mismatch between predictions and actual sensory input. Crucially, the precision afforded to the prediction error determines its effect on priors, enabling a dynamic interaction between top-down expectations and incoming sensory data. By integrating recent findings on predictive coding circuitry and 5-HT2ARs transcriptomic data, we propose a biological implementation with emphasis on the role of inhibitory interneurons. Implications arise for the clinical use of psychedelics, which may rely primarily on their inherent capacity to induce surprise in order to disrupt maladaptive patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto De Filippo
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Dietmar Schmitz
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Neuroscience Research Center, 10117 Berlin, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Einstein Center for Neuroscience, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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16
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Biradar A, Ganesh CB. Serotonin-immunoreactivity in the brain of the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:320-344. [PMID: 36938774 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) is an evolutionarily conserved monoaminergic neurotransmitter found in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system across invertebrates and vertebrates. Although the distribution of 5-HT-immunoreactive (5-HT-ir) neurons is investigated in various fish species, the organization of these neurons in cichlid fishes is poorly understood. These fish are known for their adaptability to diverse environments, food habits, and complex mating and breeding behaviors, including parental care. In this paper, we describe the organization of 5-HT-ir neurons in the brain of the cichlid fish Oreochromis mossambicus. Aggregations of 5-HT-ir neurons were spotted in the granule cell layer of the olfactory bulb and near the ventricular border in the preoptic area and magnocellular subdivisions of the nucleus preopticus. Although the presence of 5-HT-ir cells and fibers in the hypothalamic and thalamic regions, cerebellum, and raphe nuclei was comparable to that of other teleosts, the current study reveals the occurrence of 5-HT-ir cells and fibers for the first time in some areas, such as the nucleus posterior tuberis, nucleus oculomotorius, and nucleus paracommissuralis in the tilapia. While the presence of 5-HT-ir cells and fibers in gustatory centers suggests a role for serotonin in the processing of gustatory signals, distinctive pattern of 5-HT immunoreactivity was seen in the telencephalon, pretectal areas, mesencephalic, and rhombencephalic regions, suggesting a cichlid fish specific organization of the serotonergic system. In conclusion, the 5-HT system in the tilapia brain may serve several neuroendocrine and neuromodulatory roles, including regulation of reproduction and sensorimotor processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwini Biradar
- Neuroendocrinology Research Laboratory, Department of Studies in Zoology, Karnatak University, Dharwad, India
| | - C B Ganesh
- Neuroendocrinology Research Laboratory, Department of Studies in Zoology, Karnatak University, Dharwad, India
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17
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Fiorilli J, Marchesi P, Ruikes T, Huis in ‘t Veld G, Buckton R, Quintero MD, Reiten I, Bjaalie JG, Pennartz CMA. Neural correlates of object identity and reward outcome in the sensory cortical-hippocampal hierarchy: coding of motivational information in perirhinal cortex. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae002. [PMID: 38314581 PMCID: PMC10847907 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits support behavioral adaptations by integrating sensory and motor information with reward and error-driven learning signals, but it remains poorly understood how these signals are distributed across different levels of the corticohippocampal hierarchy. We trained rats on a multisensory object-recognition task and compared visual and tactile responses of simultaneously recorded neuronal ensembles in somatosensory cortex, secondary visual cortex, perirhinal cortex, and hippocampus. The sensory regions primarily represented unisensory information, whereas hippocampus was modulated by both vision and touch. Surprisingly, the sensory cortices and the hippocampus coded object-specific information, whereas the perirhinal cortex did not. Instead, perirhinal cortical neurons signaled trial outcome upon reward-based feedback. A majority of outcome-related perirhinal cells responded to a negative outcome (reward omission), whereas a minority of other cells coded positive outcome (reward delivery). Our results highlight a distributed neural coding of multisensory variables in the cortico-hippocampal hierarchy. Notably, the perirhinal cortex emerges as a crucial region for conveying motivational outcomes, whereas distinct functions related to object identity are observed in the sensory cortices and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Fiorilli
- Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, SILS Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pietro Marchesi
- Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, SILS Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs Ruikes
- Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, SILS Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerjan Huis in ‘t Veld
- Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, SILS Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rhys Buckton
- Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, SILS Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mariana D Quintero
- Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, SILS Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Reiten
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan G Bjaalie
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Cyriel M A Pennartz
- Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience Group, SILS Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Carvalheiro J, Philiastides MG. Distinct spatiotemporal brainstem pathways of outcome valence during reward- and punishment-based learning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113589. [PMID: 38100353 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning to seek rewards and avoid punishments, based on positive and negative choice outcomes, is essential for human survival. Yet, the neural underpinnings of outcome valence in the human brainstem and the extent to which they differ in reward and punishment learning contexts remain largely elusive. Here, using simultaneously acquired electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging data, we show that during reward learning the substantia nigra (SN)/ventral tegmental area (VTA) and locus coeruleus are initially activated following negative outcomes, while the VTA subsequently re-engages exhibiting greater responses for positive than negative outcomes, consistent with an early arousal/avoidance response and a later value-updating process, respectively. During punishment learning, we show that distinct raphe nucleus and SN subregions are activated only by negative outcomes with a sustained post-outcome activity across time, supporting the involvement of these brainstem subregions in avoidance behavior. Finally, we demonstrate that the coupling of these brainstem structures with other subcortical and cortical areas helps to shape participants' serial choice behavior in each context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Carvalheiro
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK; Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
| | - Marios G Philiastides
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK; Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
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19
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Baruchin LJ, Alleman M, Schröder S. Reward Modulates Visual Responses in the Superficial Superior Colliculus of Mice. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8663-8680. [PMID: 37879894 PMCID: PMC7615379 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0089-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The processing of sensory input is constantly adapting to behavioral demands and internal states. The drive to obtain reward, e.g., searching for water when thirsty, is a strong behavioral demand and associating the reward with its source, a certain environment or action, is paramount for survival. Here, we show that water reward increases subsequent visual activity in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus (SC), which receive direct input from the retina and belong to the earliest stages of visual processing. We trained mice of either sex to perform a visual decision task and recorded the activity of neurons in the SC using two-photon calcium imaging and high-density electrophysiological recordings. Responses to visual stimuli in around 20% of visually responsive neurons in the superficial SC were affected by reward delivered in the previous trial. Reward mostly increased visual responses independent from modulations due to pupil size changes. The modulation of visual responses by reward could not be explained by movements like licking. It was specific to responses to the following visual stimulus, independent of slow fluctuations in neural activity and independent of how often the stimulus was previously rewarded. Electrophysiological recordings confirmed these results and revealed that reward affected the early phase of the visual response around 80 ms after stimulus onset. Modulation of visual responses by reward, but not pupil size, significantly improved the performance of a population decoder to detect visual stimuli, indicating the relevance of reward modulation for the visual performance of the animal.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To learn which actions lead to food, water, or safety, it is necessary to integrate the receiving of reward with sensory stimuli related to the reward. Cortical stages of sensory processing have been shown to represent stimulus-reward associations. Here, we show, however, that reward influences neurons at a much earlier stage of sensory processing, the superior colliculus (SC), receiving direct input from the retina. Visual responses were increased shortly after the animal received the water reward, which led to an improved stimulus signal in the population of these visual neurons. Reward modulation of early visual responses may thus improve perception of visual environments predictive of reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liad J Baruchin
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo Alleman
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvia Schröder
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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20
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Payet JM, Stevens L, Russo AM, Jaehne EJ, van den Buuse M, Kent S, Lowry CA, Baratta MV, Hale MW. The Role of Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Serotonergic Systems in Emotional Learning and Memory in Male BALB/c Mice. Neuroscience 2023; 534:1-15. [PMID: 37852412 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the first-line pharmacological treatment for a variety of anxiety-, trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Although they are efficacious, therapeutic improvements require several weeks of treatment and are often associated with an initial exacerbation of symptoms. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) has been proposed as an important target for the modulation of emotional responses and the therapeutic effects of SSRIs. Using a fear-conditioning paradigm we aimed to understand how SSRIs affect emotional learning and memory, and their effects on serotonergic circuitry. Adult male BALB/c mice were treated with vehicle (n = 16) or the SSRI fluoxetine (18 mg/kg/d) acutely (n = 16), or chronically (21d, n = 16), prior to fear conditioning. Treatment was stopped, and half of the mice (n = 8/treatment group) were exposed to cued fear memory recall 72 h later. Activation of DR serotonergic neurons during fear conditioning (Experiment 1) or fear memory recall (Experiment 2), was measured using dual-label immunohistochemistry for Tph2 and c-Fos. Acute and chronic fluoxetine treatment reduced associative fear learning without affecting memory recall and had opposite effects on anxiety-like behaviour. Acute fluoxetine decreased serotonergic activity in the DR, while chronic treatment led to serotonergic activity that was indistinguishable from that of control levels in DRD and DRV subpopulations. Chronic fluoxetine facilitated fear extinction, which was associated with rostral DRD inhibition. These findings provide further evidence that SSRIs can alter aspects of learning and memory processes and are consistent with a role for discrete populations of DR serotonergic neurons in regulating fear- and anxiety-related behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennyfer M Payet
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Laura Stevens
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adrian M Russo
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily J Jaehne
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen Kent
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher A Lowry
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Michael V Baratta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Matthew W Hale
- Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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21
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Troconis EL, Seo C, Guru A, Warden MR. Serotonin neurons in mating female mice are activated by male ejaculation. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4926-4936.e4. [PMID: 37865094 PMCID: PMC10901455 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Sexual stimulation triggers changes in female physiology and behavior, including sexual satiety and preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Serotonin (5-HT) is an important regulator of reproductive physiology and sexual receptivity, but the relationship between sexual stimulation and 5-HT neural activity in females is poorly understood. Here, we investigated dorsal raphe 5-HT neural activity in female mice during sexual behavior. We found that 5-HT neural activity in mating females peaked specifically upon male ejaculation and remained elevated above baseline until disengagement. Artificial intravaginal mechanical stimulation was sufficient to elicit increased 5-HT neural activity but the delivery of ejaculatory fluids was not. Distal penis expansion ("penile cupping") at ejaculation and forceful expulsion of ejaculatory fluid each provided sufficient mechanical stimulation to elicit 5-HT neuron activation. Our study identifies a female ejaculation-specific signal in a major neuromodulatory system and shows that intravaginal mechanosensory stimulation is necessary and sufficient to drive this signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen L Troconis
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Changwoo Seo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Akash Guru
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Melissa R Warden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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22
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Harkin EF, Nasrallah G, Le François B, Albert PR. Transcriptional Regulation of the Human 5-HT1A Receptor Gene by Lithium: Role of Deaf1 and GSK3β. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15620. [PMID: 37958600 PMCID: PMC10647674 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) autoreceptors located on serotonin neurons inhibit their activity, and their upregulation has been implicated in depression, suicide and resistance to antidepressant treatment. Conversely, post-synaptic 5-HT1A heteroreceptors are important for antidepressant response. The transcription factor deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor 1 (Deaf1) acts as a presynaptic repressor and postsynaptic enhancer of 5-HT1A transcription, but the mechanism is unclear. Because Deaf1 interacts with and is phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β)-a constitutively active protein kinase that is inhibited by the mood stabilizer lithium at therapeutic concentrations-we investigated the role of GSK3β in Deaf1 regulation of human 5-HT1A transcription. In 5-HT1A promoter-reporter assays, human HEK293 kidney and 5-HT1A-expressing SKN-SH neuroblastoma cells, transfection of Deaf1 reduced 5-HT1A promoter activity by ~45%. To identify potential GSK3β site(s) on Deaf1, point mutations of known and predicted phosphorylation sites on Deaf1 were tested. Deaf1 repressor function was not affected by any of the mutants tested except the Y300F mutant, which augmented Deaf1 repression. Both lithium and the selective GSK3 inhibitors CHIR-99021 and AR-014418 attenuated and reversed Deaf1 repression compared to vector. This inhibition was at concentrations that maximally inhibit GSK3β activity as detected by the GSK3β-sensitive TCF/LEF reporter construct. Our results support the hypothesis that GSK3β regulates the activity of Deaf1 to repress 5-HT1A transcription and provide a potential mechanism for actions of GSK3 inhibitors on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paul R. Albert
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Neuroscience), University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H-8M5, Canada (B.L.F.)
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23
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Feng YY, Bromberg-Martin ES, Monosov IE. Dorsal raphe neurons signal integrated value during multi-attribute decision-making. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.17.553745. [PMID: 37662243 PMCID: PMC10473596 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.17.553745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is implicated in psychiatric disorders that feature impaired sensitivity to reward amount, impulsivity when facing reward delays, and risk-seeking when grappling with reward uncertainty. However, whether and how DRN neurons signal reward amount, reward delay, and reward uncertainty during multi-attribute value-based decision-making, where subjects consider all these attributes to make a choice, is unclear. We recorded DRN neurons as monkeys chose between offers whose attributes, namely expected reward amount, reward delay, and reward uncertainty, varied independently. Many DRN neurons signaled offer attributes. Remarkably, these neurons commonly integrated offer attributes in a manner that reflected monkeys' overall preferences for amount, delay, and uncertainty. After decision-making, in response to post-decision feedback, these same neurons signaled signed reward prediction errors, suggesting a broader role in tracking value across task epochs and behavioral contexts. Our data illustrate how DRN participates in integrated value computations, guiding theories of DRN in decision-making and psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-Yang Feng
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Ilya E. Monosov
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Washington University Pain Center, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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24
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Troconis EL, Seo C, Guru A, Warden MR. Serotonin neurons in mating female mice are activated by male ejaculation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.14.540716. [PMID: 37645786 PMCID: PMC10461921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.14.540716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Sexual stimulation triggers changes in female physiology and behavior, including sexual satiety and preparing the uterus for pregnancy. Serotonin is an important regulator of reproductive physiology and sexual receptivity, but the relationship between sexual stimulation and serotonin neural activity in females is poorly understood. Here, we investigated dorsal raphe serotonin neural activity in females during sexual behavior. We found that serotonin neural activity in mating females peaked specifically upon male ejaculation, and remained elevated above baseline until disengagement. Artificial intravaginal mechanical stimulation was sufficient to elicit increased 5-HT neural activity but the delivery of ejaculatory fluids was not. Distal penis erectile enlargement ("penile cupping") at ejaculation and forceful expulsion of ejaculatory fluid each provided sufficient mechanical stimulation to elicit serotonin neuron activation. Our study identifies a female ejaculation-specific signal in a major neuromodulatory system and shows that intravaginal mechanosensory stimulation is necessary and sufficient to drive this signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen L. Troconis
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Changwoo Seo
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Akash Guru
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Melissa R. Warden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
- Lead Contact
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25
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Ielpo D, Guzzo SM, Porcheddu GF, Viscomi MT, Catale C, Reverte I, Cabib S, Cifani C, Antonucci G, Ventura R, Lo Iacono L, Marchetti C, Andolina D. GABAergic miR-34a regulates Dorsal Raphè inhibitory transmission in response to aversive, but not rewarding, stimuli. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2301730120. [PMID: 37523544 PMCID: PMC10410731 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301730120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain employs distinct circuitries to encode positive and negative valence stimuli, and dysfunctions of these neuronal circuits have a key role in the etiopathogenesis of many psychiatric disorders. The Dorsal Raphè Nucleus (DRN) is involved in various behaviors and drives the emotional response to rewarding and aversive experiences. Whether specific subpopulations of neurons within the DRN encode these behaviors with different valence is still unknown. Notably, microRNA expression in the mammalian brain is characterized by tissue and neuronal specificity, suggesting that it might play a role in cell and circuit functionality. However, this specificity has not been fully exploited. Here, we demonstrate that microRNA-34a (miR-34a) is selectively expressed in a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons of the ventrolateral DRN. Moreover, we report that acute exposure to both aversive (restraint stress) and rewarding (chocolate) stimuli reduces GABA release in the DRN, an effect prevented by the inactivation of DRN miR-34a or its genetic deletion in GABAergic neurons in aversive but not rewarding conditions. Finally, miR-34a inhibition selectively reduced passive coping with severe stressors. These data support a role of miR-34a in regulating GABAergic neurotransmitter activity and behavior in a context-dependent manner and suggest that microRNAs could represent a functional signature of specific neuronal subpopulations with valence-specific activity in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Ielpo
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome00184, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Roma00143, Italy
| | - Serafina M. Guzzo
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino62032, Italy
| | - Giovanni F. Porcheddu
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Roma00143, Italy
- European Brain Research Institute-Fondazione Rita Levi-Montalcini, Rome00161, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Viscomi
- Department of Life Science and Public Health Section of Histology and Embryology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome00168, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli”, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome00168, Italy
| | - Clarissa Catale
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Roma00143, Italy
| | - Ingrid Reverte
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Roma00143, Italy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome00185, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome00184, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Roma00143, Italy
| | - Carlo Cifani
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Camerino62032, Italy
| | - Gabriella Antonucci
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome00184, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Roma00143, Italy
| | - Rossella Ventura
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome00184, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Roma00143, Italy
- San Raffaele Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome00166, Italy
| | - Luisa Lo Iacono
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Roma00143, Italy
| | - Cristina Marchetti
- European Brain Research Institute-Fondazione Rita Levi-Montalcini, Rome00161, Italy
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, Rome00185, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome00184, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Roma00143, Italy
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26
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Vellucci L, Ciccarelli M, Buonaguro EF, Fornaro M, D’Urso G, De Simone G, Iasevoli F, Barone A, de Bartolomeis A. The Neurobiological Underpinnings of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Psychosis, Translational Issues for Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1220. [PMID: 37627285 PMCID: PMC10452784 DOI: 10.3390/biom13081220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Almost 25% of schizophrenia patients suffer from obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) considered a transdiagnostic clinical continuum. The presence of symptoms pertaining to both schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may complicate pharmacological treatment and could contribute to lack or poor response to the therapy. Despite the clinical relevance, no reviews have been recently published on the possible neurobiological underpinnings of this comorbidity, which is still unclear. An integrative view exploring this topic should take into account the following aspects: (i) the implication for glutamate, dopamine, and serotonin neurotransmission as demonstrated by genetic findings; (ii) the growing neuroimaging evidence of the common brain regions and dysfunctional circuits involved in both diseases; (iii) the pharmacological modulation of dopaminergic, serotoninergic, and glutamatergic systems as current therapeutic strategies in schizophrenia OCS; (iv) the recent discovery of midbrain dopamine neurons and dopamine D1- and D2-like receptors as orchestrating hubs in repetitive and psychotic behaviors; (v) the contribution of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits to both psychosis and OCD neurobiology. Finally, we discuss the potential role of the postsynaptic density as a structural and functional hub for multiple molecular signaling both in schizophrenia and OCD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrea de Bartolomeis
- Section of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Translational and Molecular Psychiatry and Unit of Treatment-Resistant Psychosis, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry University Medical School of Naples “Federico II”, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy
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27
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Castagnola E, Robbins EM, Krahe DD, Wu B, Pwint MY, Cao Q, Cui XT. Stable in-vivo electrochemical sensing of tonic serotonin levels using PEDOT/CNT-coated glassy carbon flexible microelectrode arrays. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 230:115242. [PMID: 36989659 PMCID: PMC10101938 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Chronic sampling of tonic serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) concentrations in the brain is critical for tracking neurological disease development and the time course of pharmacological treatments. Despite their value, in vivo chronic multi-site measurements of tonic 5-HT have not been reported. To fill this technological gap, we batch-fabricated implantable glassy carbon (GC) microelectrode arrays (MEAs) onto a flexible SU-8 substrate to provide an electrochemically stable and biocompatible device/tissue interface. To achieve detection of tonic 5-HT concentrations, we applied a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/carbon nanotube (PEDOT/CNT) electrode coating and optimized a square wave voltammetry (SWV) waveform for selective 5-HT measurement. In vitro, the PEDOT/CNT-coated GC microelectrodes achieved high sensitivity to 5-HT, good fouling resistance, and excellent selectivity against the most common neurochemical interferents. In vivo, our PEDOT/CNT-coated GC MEAs successfully detected basal 5-HT concentrations at different locations within the CA2 region of the hippocampus of both anesthetized and awake mice. Furthermore, the PEDOT/CNT-coated MEAs were able to detect tonic 5-HT in the mouse hippocampus for one week after implantation. Histology reveals that the flexible GC MEA implants caused less tissue damage and reduced inflammatory response in the hippocampus compared to commercially available stiff silicon probes. To the best of our knowledge, this PEDOT/CNT-coated GC MEA is the first implantable, flexible sensor capable of chronic in vivo multi-site sensing of tonic 5-HT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Castagnola
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, 818 Nelson Ave, 71272, USA
| | - Elaine M Robbins
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daniela D Krahe
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bingchen Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, 4400 Fifth Ave, PA 15213, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - May Yoon Pwint
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, 4400 Fifth Ave, PA 15213, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Qun Cao
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xinyan Tracy Cui
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219-3110, USA; Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, 4400 Fifth Ave, PA 15213, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
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28
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Dag U, Nwabudike I, Kang D, Gomes MA, Kim J, Atanas AA, Bueno E, Estrem C, Pugliese S, Wang Z, Towlson E, Flavell SW. Dissecting the functional organization of the C. elegans serotonergic system at whole-brain scale. Cell 2023; 186:2574-2592.e20. [PMID: 37192620 PMCID: PMC10484565 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin influences many aspects of animal behavior. But how serotonin acts on its diverse receptors across the brain to modulate global activity and behavior is unknown. Here, we examine how serotonin release in C. elegans alters brain-wide activity to induce foraging behaviors, like slow locomotion and increased feeding. Comprehensive genetic analyses identify three core serotonin receptors (MOD-1, SER-4, and LGC-50) that induce slow locomotion upon serotonin release and others (SER-1, SER-5, and SER-7) that interact with them to modulate this behavior. SER-4 induces behavioral responses to sudden increases in serotonin release, whereas MOD-1 induces responses to persistent release. Whole-brain imaging reveals widespread serotonin-associated brain dynamics, spanning many behavioral networks. We map all sites of serotonin receptor expression in the connectome, which, together with synaptic connectivity, helps predict which neurons show serotonin-associated activity. These results reveal how serotonin acts at defined sites across a connectome to modulate brain-wide activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugur Dag
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ijeoma Nwabudike
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Di Kang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Matthew A Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungsoo Kim
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Adam A Atanas
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA; Computational and Systems Biology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric Bueno
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassi Estrem
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Pugliese
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emma Towlson
- Department of Computer Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children's Research Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Steven W Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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29
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Xiao C, Wei J, Zhang GW, Tao C, Huang JJ, Shen L, Wickersham IR, Tao HW, Zhang LI. Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in pontine central gray mediate opposing valence-specific behaviors through a global network. Neuron 2023; 111:1486-1503.e7. [PMID: 36893756 PMCID: PMC10164086 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Extracting the valence of environmental cues is critical for animals' survival. How valence in sensory signals is encoded and transformed to produce distinct behavioral responses remains not well understood. Here, we report that the mouse pontine central gray (PCG) contributes to encoding both negative and positive valences. PCG glutamatergic neurons were activated selectively by aversive, but not reward, stimuli, whereas its GABAergic neurons were preferentially activated by reward signals. The optogenetic activation of these two populations resulted in avoidance and preference behavior, respectively, and was sufficient to induce conditioned place aversion/preference. Suppression of them reduced sensory-induced aversive and appetitive behaviors, respectively. These two functionally opponent populations, receiving a broad range of inputs from overlapping yet distinct sources, broadcast valence-specific information to a distributed brain network with distinguishable downstream effectors. Thus, PCG serves as a critical hub to process positive and negative valences of incoming sensory signals and drive valence-specific behaviors with distinct circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiyu Xiao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jinxing Wei
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Guang-Wei Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Can Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Junxiang J Huang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Graduate Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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30
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Maurer JJ, Choi A, An I, Sathi N, Chung S. Sleep disturbances in autism spectrum disorder: Animal models, neural mechanisms, and therapeutics. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms 2023; 14:100095. [PMID: 37188242 PMCID: PMC10176270 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2023.100095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep is crucial for brain development. Sleep disturbances are prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Strikingly, these sleep problems are positively correlated with the severity of ASD core symptoms such as deficits in social skills and stereotypic behavior, indicating that sleep problems and the behavioral characteristics of ASD may be related. In this review, we will discuss sleep disturbances in children with ASD and highlight mouse models to study sleep disturbances and behavioral phenotypes in ASD. In addition, we will review neuromodulators controlling sleep and wakefulness and how these neuromodulatory systems are disrupted in animal models and patients with ASD. Lastly, we will address how the therapeutic interventions for patients with ASD improve various aspects of sleep. Together, gaining mechanistic insights into the neural mechanisms underlying sleep disturbances in children with ASD will help us to develop better therapeutic interventions.
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31
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Khan KM, Balasubramanian N, Gaudencio G, Wang R, Selvakumar GP, Kolling L, Pierson S, Tadinada SM, Abel T, Hefti M, Marcinkiewcz CA. Human tau-overexpressing mice recapitulate brainstem involvement and neuropsychiatric features of early Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:57. [PMID: 37009893 PMCID: PMC10069039 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01546-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses an ever-increasing public health concern as the population ages, affecting more than 6 million Americans. AD patients present with mood and sleep changes in the prodromal stages that may be partly driven by loss of monoaminergic neurons in the brainstem, but a causal relationship has not been firmly established. This is due in part to a dearth of animal models that recapitulate early AD neuropathology and symptoms. The goal of the present study was to evaluate depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in a mouse model of AD that overexpresses human wild-type tau (htau) prior to the onset of cognitive impairments and assess these behavior changes in relationship to tau pathology, neuroinflammation, and monoaminergic dysregulation in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and locus coeruleus (LC). We observed depressive-like behaviors at 4 months in both sexes and hyperlocomotion in male htau mice. Deficits in social interaction persisted at 6 months and were accompanied by an increase in anxiety-like behavior in males. The behavioral changes at 4 months coincided with a lower density of serotonergic (5-HT) neurons, downregulation of 5-HT markers, reduced excitability of 5-HT neurons, and hyperphosphorylated tau in the DRN. Inflammatory markers were also upregulated in the DRN along with protein kinases and transglutaminase 2, which may promote tau phosphorylation and aggregation. Loss of 5-HT innervation to the entorhinal cortex and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus was also observed and may have contributed to depressive-like behaviors. There was also reduced expression of noradrenergic markers in the LC along with elevated phospho-tau expression, but this did not translate to a functional change in neuronal excitability. In total, these results suggest that tau pathology in brainstem monoaminergic nuclei and the resulting loss of serotonergic and/or noradrenergic drive may underpin depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in the early stages of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanza M Khan
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 2-430 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
- Psychological Sciences Department, Daemen University, Amherst, NY, 14226, USA
| | - Nagalakshmi Balasubramanian
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 2-430 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Gabriel Gaudencio
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 2-430 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Ruixiang Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 2-430 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | | | - Louis Kolling
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 2-430 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Samantha Pierson
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 2-430 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Satya M Tadinada
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 2-430 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 2-430 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Marco Hefti
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Catherine A Marcinkiewcz
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Iowa, 2-430 Bowen Science Building, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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32
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Morgan AA, Alves ND, Stevens GS, Yeasmin TT, Mackay A, Power S, Sargin D, Hanna C, Adib AL, Ziolkowski-Blake A, Lambe EK, Ansorge MS. Medial Prefrontal Cortex Serotonin Input Regulates Cognitive Flexibility in Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.30.534775. [PMID: 37034804 PMCID: PMC10081203 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.30.534775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) regulates cognitive flexibility and emotional behavior. Neurons that release serotonin project to the mPFC, and serotonergic drugs influence emotion and cognition. Yet, the specific roles of endogenous serotonin release in the mPFC on neurophysiology and behavior are unknown. We show that axonal serotonin release in the mPFC directly inhibits the major mPFC output neurons. In serotonergic neurons projecting from the dorsal raphe to the mPFC, we find endogenous activity signatures pre-reward retrieval and at reward retrieval during a cognitive flexibility task. In vivo optogenetic activation of this pathway during pre-reward retrieval selectively improved extradimensional rule shift performance while inhibition impaired it, demonstrating sufficiency and necessity for mPFC serotonin release in cognitive flexibility. Locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior were not affected by either optogenetic manipulation. Collectively, our data reveal a powerful and specific modulatory role of endogenous serotonin release from dorsal raphe-to-mPFC projecting neurons in cognitive flexibility.
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Reggiani JDS, Jiang Q, Barbini M, Lutas A, Liang L, Fernando J, Deng F, Wan J, Li Y, Chen C, Andermann ML. Brainstem serotonin neurons selectively gate retinal information flow to thalamus. Neuron 2023; 111:711-726.e11. [PMID: 36584680 PMCID: PMC10131437 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types relay parallel streams of visual feature information. We hypothesized that neuromodulators might efficiently control which visual information streams reach the cortex by selectively gating transmission from specific RGC axons in the thalamus. Using fiber photometry recordings, we found that optogenetic stimulation of serotonergic axons in primary visual thalamus of awake mice suppressed ongoing and visually evoked calcium activity and glutamate release from RGC boutons. Two-photon calcium imaging revealed that serotonin axon stimulation suppressed RGC boutons that responded strongly to global changes in luminance more than those responding only to local visual stimuli, while the converse was true for suppression induced by increases in arousal. Converging evidence suggests that differential expression of the 5-HT1B receptor on RGC presynaptic terminals, but not differential density of nearby serotonin axons, may contribute to the selective serotonergic gating of specific visual information streams before they can activate thalamocortical neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine D S Reggiani
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Qiufen Jiang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Melanie Barbini
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Andrew Lutas
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Liang Liang
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jesseba Fernando
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Fei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jinxia Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chinfei Chen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Mark L Andermann
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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34
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Thivierge JP, Giraud É, Lynn M. Toward a Brain-Inspired Theory of Artificial Learning. Cognit Comput 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12559-023-10121-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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35
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Behera CK, Joshi A, Wang DH, Sharp T, Wong-Lin K. Degeneracy and stability in neural circuits of dopamine and serotonin neuromodulators: A theoretical consideration. Front Comput Neurosci 2023; 16:950489. [PMID: 36761394 PMCID: PMC9905743 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2022.950489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Degenerate neural circuits perform the same function despite being structurally different. However, it is unclear whether neural circuits with interacting neuromodulator sources can themselves degenerate while maintaining the same neuromodulatory function. Here, we address this by computationally modeling the neural circuits of neuromodulators serotonin and dopamine, local glutamatergic and GABAergic interneurons, and their possible interactions, under reward/punishment-based conditioning tasks. The neural modeling is constrained by relevant experimental studies of the VTA or DRN system using, e.g., electrophysiology, optogenetics, and voltammetry. We first show that a single parsimonious, sparsely connected neural circuit model can recapitulate several separate experimental findings that indicated diverse, heterogeneous, distributed, and mixed DRNVTA neuronal signaling in reward and punishment tasks. The inability of this model to recapitulate all observed neuronal signaling suggests potentially multiple circuits acting in parallel. Then using computational simulations and dynamical systems analysis, we demonstrate that several different stable circuit architectures can produce the same observed network activity profile, hence demonstrating degeneracy. Due to the extensive D2-mediated connections in the investigated circuits, we simulate the D2 receptor agonist by increasing the connection strengths emanating from the VTA DA neurons. We found that the simulated D2 agonist can distinguish among sub-groups of the degenerate neural circuits based on substantial deviations in specific neural populations' activities in reward and punishment conditions. This forms a testable model prediction using pharmacological means. Overall, this theoretical work suggests the plausibility of degeneracy within neuromodulator circuitry and has important implications for the stable and robust maintenance of neuromodulatory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandan K. Behera
- Intelligent Systems Research Centre, School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry∼Londonderry, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Chandan K. Behera,
| | - Alok Joshi
- Intelligent Systems Research Centre, School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry∼Londonderry, United Kingdom
| | - Da-Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China,School of Systems Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Trevor Sharp
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - KongFatt Wong-Lin
- Intelligent Systems Research Centre, School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, Ulster University, Derry∼Londonderry, United Kingdom,KongFatt Wong-Lin,
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36
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Castagnola E, Robbins EM, Krahe D, Wu B, Pwint MY, Cao Q, Cui XT. Implantable flexible multielectrode arrays for multi-site sensing of serotonin tonic levels. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.17.524488. [PMID: 36711655 PMCID: PMC9882191 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.17.524488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Real-time multi-channel measurements of tonic serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) concentrations across different brain regions are of utmost importance to the understanding of 5-HT’s role in anxiety, depression, and impulse control disorders, which will improve the diagnosis and treatment of these neuropsychiatric illnesses. Chronic sampling of 5-HT is critical in tracking disease development as well as the time course of pharmacological treatments. Despite their value, in vivo chronic multi-site measurements of 5-HT have not been reported. To fill this technological gap, we batch fabricated implantable glassy carbon (GC) microelectrode arrays (MEAs) on a flexible SU-8 substrate to provide an electrochemically stable and biocompatible device/tissue interface. Then, to achieve multi-site detection of tonic 5-HT concentrations, we incorporated the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/functionalized carbon nanotube (PEDOT/CNT) coating on the GC microelectrodes in combination with a new square wave voltammetry (SWV) approach, optimized for selective 5-HT measurement. In vitro , the PEDOT/CNT coated GC microelectrodes achieved high sensitivity towards 5-HT, good fouling resistance in the presence of 5-HT, and excellent selectivity towards the most common neurochemical interferents. In vivo , our PEDOT/CNT-coated GC MEAs were able to successfully detect basal 5-HT concentrations at different locations of the CA2 hippocampal region of mice in both anesthetized and awake head-fixed conditions. Furthermore, the implanted PEDOT/CNT-coated MEA achieved stable detection of tonic 5-HT concentrations for one week. Finally, histology data in the hippocampus shows reduced tissue damage and inflammatory responses compared to stiff silicon probes. To the best of our knowledge, this PEDOT/CNT-coated GC MEA is the first implantable flexible multisite sensor capable of chronic in vivo multi-site sensing of tonic 5-HT. This implantable MEA can be custom-designed according to specific brain region of interests and research questions, with the potential to combine electrophysiology recording and multiple analyte sensing to maximize our understanding of neurochemistry. Highlights PEDOT/CNT-coated GC microelectrodes enabled sensitive and selective tonic detection of serotonin (5-HT) using a new square wave voltammetry (SWV) approach PEDOT/CNT-coated GC MEAs achieved multi-site in vivo 5-HT tonic detection for one week. Flexible MEAs lead to reduced tissue damage and inflammation compared to stiff silicon probes.
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37
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Piszár I, Lőrincz ML. Differential Serotonergic Modulation of Synaptic Inputs to the Olfactory Cortex. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031950. [PMID: 36768274 PMCID: PMC9916768 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Serotonin (5-hydroxytriptamine, 5-HT) is an important monoaminergic neuromodulator involved in a variety of physiological and pathological functions. It has been implicated in the regulation of sensory functions at various stages of multiple modalities, but its mechanisms and functions in the olfactory system have remained elusive. Combining electrophysiology, optogenetics and pharmacology, here we show that afferent (feed-forward) pathway-evoked synaptic responses are boosted, whereas feedback responses are suppressed by presynaptic 5-HT1B receptors in the anterior piriform cortex (aPC) in vitro. Blocking 5-HT1B receptors also reduces the suppressive effects of serotonergic photostimulation of baseline firing in vivo. We suggest that by regulating the relative weights of synaptic inputs to aPC, 5-HT finely tunes sensory inputs in the olfactory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildikó Piszár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Magor L. Lőrincz
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
- Neuroscience Division, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
- Correspondence:
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38
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Harkin EF, Lynn MB, Payeur A, Boucher JF, Caya-Bissonnette L, Cyr D, Stewart C, Longtin A, Naud R, Béïque JC. Temporal derivative computation in the dorsal raphe network revealed by an experimentally driven augmented integrate-and-fire modeling framework. eLife 2023; 12:72951. [PMID: 36655738 PMCID: PMC9977298 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
By means of an expansive innervation, the serotonin (5-HT) neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) are positioned to enact coordinated modulation of circuits distributed across the entire brain in order to adaptively regulate behavior. Yet the network computations that emerge from the excitability and connectivity features of the DRN are still poorly understood. To gain insight into these computations, we began by carrying out a detailed electrophysiological characterization of genetically identified mouse 5-HT and somatostatin (SOM) neurons. We next developed a single-neuron modeling framework that combines the realism of Hodgkin-Huxley models with the simplicity and predictive power of generalized integrate-and-fire models. We found that feedforward inhibition of 5-HT neurons by heterogeneous SOM neurons implemented divisive inhibition, while endocannabinoid-mediated modulation of excitatory drive to the DRN increased the gain of 5-HT output. Our most striking finding was that the output of the DRN encodes a mixture of the intensity and temporal derivative of its input, and that the temporal derivative component dominates this mixture precisely when the input is increasing rapidly. This network computation primarily emerged from prominent adaptation mechanisms found in 5-HT neurons, including a previously undescribed dynamic threshold. By applying a bottom-up neural network modeling approach, our results suggest that the DRN is particularly apt to encode input changes over short timescales, reflecting one of the salient emerging computations that dominate its output to regulate behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emerson F Harkin
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - Michael B Lynn
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - Alexandre Payeur
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
- Department of Physics, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - Jean-François Boucher
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - Léa Caya-Bissonnette
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - Dominic Cyr
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - Chloe Stewart
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - André Longtin
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
- Department of Physics, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - Richard Naud
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
- Department of Physics, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
| | - Jean-Claude Béïque
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of OttawaOttawaCanada
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39
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Dag U, Nwabudike I, Kang D, Gomes MA, Kim J, Atanas AA, Bueno E, Estrem C, Pugliese S, Wang Z, Towlson E, Flavell SW. Dissecting the Functional Organization of the C. elegans Serotonergic System at Whole-Brain Scale. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.15.524132. [PMID: 36711891 PMCID: PMC9882198 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.15.524132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin controls many aspects of animal behavior and cognition. But how serotonin acts on its diverse receptor types in neurons across the brain to modulate global activity and behavior is unknown. Here, we examine how serotonin release from a feeding-responsive neuron in C. elegans alters brain-wide activity to induce foraging behaviors, like slow locomotion and increased feeding. A comprehensive genetic analysis identifies three core serotonin receptors that collectively induce slow locomotion upon serotonin release and three others that interact with them to further modulate this behavior. The core receptors have different functional roles: some induce behavioral responses to sudden increases in serotonin release, whereas others induce responses to persistent release. Whole-brain calcium imaging reveals widespread serotonin-associated brain dynamics, impacting different behavioral networks in different ways. We map out all sites of serotonin receptor expression in the connectome, which, together with synaptic connectivity, helps predict serotonin-associated brain-wide activity changes. These results provide a global view of how serotonin acts at defined sites across a connectome to modulate brain-wide activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugur Dag
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Ijeoma Nwabudike
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Di Kang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Matthew A. Gomes
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jungsoo Kim
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Adam A. Atanas
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,Computational and Systems Biology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric Bueno
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cassi Estrem
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sarah Pugliese
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emma Towlson
- Department of Computer Science, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children’s Research Hospital, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steven W. Flavell
- Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA,Corresponding Author:
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40
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Salvan P, Fonseca M, Winkler AM, Beauchamp A, Lerch JP, Johansen-Berg H. Serotonin regulation of behavior via large-scale neuromodulation of serotonin receptor networks. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:53-63. [PMID: 36522497 PMCID: PMC9829536 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01213-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Although we understand how serotonin receptors function at the single-cell level, what role different serotonin receptors play in regulating brain-wide activity and, in turn, human behavior, remains unknown. Here, we developed transcriptomic-neuroimaging mapping to characterize brain-wide functional signatures associated with specific serotonin receptors: serotonin receptor networks (SRNs). Probing SRNs with optogenetics-functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pharmacology in mice, we show that activation of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons differentially modulates the amplitude and functional connectivity of different SRNs, showing that receptors' spatial distributions can confer specificity not only at the local, but also at the brain-wide, network level. In humans, using resting-state functional MRI, SRNs replicate established divisions of serotonin effects on impulsivity and negative biases. These results provide compelling evidence that heterogeneous brain-wide distributions of different serotonin receptor types may underpin behaviorally distinct modes of serotonin regulation. This suggests that serotonin neurons may regulate multiple aspects of human behavior via modulation of large-scale receptor networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piergiorgio Salvan
- Wellcome Centre For Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Madalena Fonseca
- Wellcome Centre For Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anderson M Winkler
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, TX, USA
| | - Antoine Beauchamp
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Wellcome Centre For Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Heidi Johansen-Berg
- Wellcome Centre For Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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41
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Median raphe serotonergic neurons projecting to the interpeduncular nucleus control preference and aversion. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7708. [PMID: 36550097 PMCID: PMC9780347 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Appropriate processing of reward and aversive information is essential for survival. Although a critical role of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in reward processing has been shown, the lack of rewarding effects with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) implies the presence of a discrete serotonergic system playing an opposite role to the DRN in the processing of reward and aversive stimuli. Here, we demonstrated that serotonergic neurons in the median raphe nucleus (MRN) of mice process reward and aversive information in opposite directions to DRN serotonergic neurons. We further identified MRN serotonergic neurons, including those projecting to the interpeduncular nucleus (5-HTMRN→IPN), as a key mediator of reward and aversive stimuli. Moreover, 5-HT receptors, including 5-HT2A receptors in the interpeduncular nucleus, are involved in the aversive properties of MRN serotonergic neural activity. Our findings revealed an essential function of MRN serotonergic neurons, including 5-HTMRN→IPN, in the processing of reward and aversive stimuli.
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42
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Next generation genetically encoded fluorescent sensors for serotonin. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7525. [PMID: 36473867 PMCID: PMC9726753 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35200-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We developed a family of genetically encoded serotonin (5-HT) sensors (sDarken) on the basis of the native 5-HT1A receptor and circularly permuted GFP. sDarken 5-HT sensors are bright in the unbound state and diminish their fluorescence upon binding of 5-HT. Sensor variants with different affinities for serotonin were engineered to increase the versatility in imaging of serotonin dynamics. Experiments in vitro and in vivo showed the feasibility of imaging serotonin dynamics with high temporal and spatial resolution. As demonstrated here, the designed sensors show excellent membrane expression, have high specificity and a superior signal-to-noise ratio, detect the endogenous release of serotonin and are suitable for two-photon in vivo imaging.
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Yu XD, Zhu Y, Sun QX, Deng F, Wan J, Zheng D, Gong W, Xie SZ, Shen CJ, Fu JY, Huang H, Lai HY, Jin J, Li Y, Li XM. Distinct serotonergic pathways to the amygdala underlie separate behavioral features of anxiety. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1651-1663. [PMID: 36446933 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01200-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety-like behaviors in mice include social avoidance and avoidance of bright spaces. Whether these features are distinctly regulated is unclear. We demonstrate that in mice, social and anxiogenic stimuli, respectively, increase and decrease serotonin (5-HT) levels in basal amygdala (BA). In dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), 5-HT∩vGluT3 neurons projecting to BA parvalbumin (DRN5-HT∩vGluT3-BAPV) and pyramidal (DRN5-HT∩vGluT3-BAPyr) neurons have distinct intrinsic properties and gene expression and respond to anxiogenic and social stimuli, respectively. Activation of DRN5-HT∩vGluT3→BAPV inhibits 5-HT release via GABAB receptors on serotonergic terminals in BA, inducing social avoidance and avoidance of bright spaces. Activation of DRN5-HT∩vGluT3→BA neurons inhibits two subsets of BAPyr neurons via 5-HT1A receptors (HTR1A) and 5-HT1B receptors (HTR1B). Pharmacological inhibition of HTR1A and HTR1B in BA induces avoidance of bright spaces and social avoidance, respectively. These findings highlight the functional significance of heterogenic inputs from DRN to BA subpopulations in the regulation of separate anxiety-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Dan Yu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qi-Xin Sun
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fei Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinxia Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Di Zheng
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wankun Gong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Ze Xie
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chen-Jie Shen
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Yu Fu
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huiqian Huang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hsin-Yi Lai
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Interdisciplinary Institute of Neuroscience and Technology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jin Jin
- The MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Cancer Molecular Cell Biology, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. .,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. .,Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Research Units for Emotion and Emotion Disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, China.
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Szadai Z, Pi HJ, Chevy Q, Ócsai K, Albeanu DF, Chiovini B, Szalay G, Katona G, Kepecs A, Rózsa B. Cortex-wide response mode of VIP-expressing inhibitory neurons by reward and punishment. eLife 2022; 11:78815. [PMID: 36416886 PMCID: PMC9683790 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortex is classically divided into distinct areas, each specializing in different function, but all could benefit from reinforcement feedback to inform and update local processing. Yet it remains elusive how global signals like reward and punishment are represented in local cortical computations. Previously, we identified a cortical neuron type, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-expressing interneurons, in auditory cortex that is recruited by behavioral reinforcers and mediates disinhibitory control by inhibiting other inhibitory neurons. As the same disinhibitory cortical circuit is present virtually throughout cortex, we wondered whether VIP neurons are likewise recruited by reinforcers throughout cortex. We monitored VIP neural activity in dozens of cortical regions using three-dimensional random access two-photon microscopy and fiber photometry while mice learned an auditory discrimination task. We found that reward and punishment during initial learning produce rapid, cortex-wide activation of most VIP interneurons. This global recruitment mode showed variations in temporal dynamics in individual neurons and across areas. Neither the weak sensory tuning of VIP interneurons in visual cortex nor their arousal state modulation was fully predictive of reinforcer responses. We suggest that the global response mode of cortical VIP interneurons supports a cell-type-specific circuit mechanism by which organism-level information about reinforcers regulates local circuit processing and plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Szadai
- Laboratory of 3D functional network and dendritic imaging, Institute of Experimental Medicine
- MTA-PPKE ITK-NAP B – 2p Measurement Technology Group, The Faculty of Information Technology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University
- János Szentágothai Doctoral School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University
- BrainVisionCenter
| | - Hyun-Jae Pi
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Volen Center for Complex Systems, Biology Department, Brandeis University
| | - Quentin Chevy
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine
| | - Katalin Ócsai
- MTA-PPKE ITK-NAP B – 2p Measurement Technology Group, The Faculty of Information Technology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University
- BrainVisionCenter
- Computational Systems Neuroscience Lab, Wigner Research Centre for Physics
- Department of Mathematical Geometry, Institute of Mathematics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
| | | | - Balázs Chiovini
- Laboratory of 3D functional network and dendritic imaging, Institute of Experimental Medicine
| | - Gergely Szalay
- Laboratory of 3D functional network and dendritic imaging, Institute of Experimental Medicine
| | - Gergely Katona
- MTA-PPKE ITK-NAP B – 2p Measurement Technology Group, The Faculty of Information Technology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University
| | - Adam Kepecs
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine
| | - Balázs Rózsa
- Laboratory of 3D functional network and dendritic imaging, Institute of Experimental Medicine
- BrainVisionCenter
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45
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Post RJ, Bulkin DA, Ebitz RB, Lee V, Han K, Warden MR. Tonic activity in lateral habenula neurons acts as a neutral valence brake on reward-seeking behavior. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4325-4336.e5. [PMID: 36049479 PMCID: PMC9613558 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Survival requires both the ability to persistently pursue goals and the ability to determine when it is time to stop, an adaptive balance of perseverance and disengagement. Neural activity in the lateral habenula (LHb) has been linked to negative valence, but its role in regulating the balance between engaged reward seeking and disengaged behavioral states remains unclear. Here, we show that LHb neural activity is tonically elevated during minutes-long periods of disengagement from reward-seeking behavior, both when due to repeated reward omission (negative valence) and when sufficient reward has been consumed (positive valence). Furthermore, we show that LHb inhibition extends ongoing reward-seeking behavioral states but does not prompt task re-engagement. We find no evidence for similar tonic activity changes in ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Our findings support a framework in which tonic activity in LHb neurons suppresses engagement in reward-seeking behavior in response to both negatively and positively valenced factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Post
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - David A Bulkin
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - R Becket Ebitz
- Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Vladlena Lee
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Kasey Han
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Melissa R Warden
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Cornell Neurotech, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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Chowdhury A, Luchetti A, Fernandes G, Filho DA, Kastellakis G, Tzilivaki A, Ramirez EM, Tran MY, Poirazi P, Silva AJ. A locus coeruleus-dorsal CA1 dopaminergic circuit modulates memory linking. Neuron 2022; 110:3374-3388.e8. [PMID: 36041433 PMCID: PMC10508214 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Individual memories are often linked so that the recall of one triggers the recall of another. For example, contextual memories acquired close in time can be linked, and this is known to depend on a temporary increase in excitability that drives the overlap between dorsal CA1 (dCA1) hippocampal ensembles that encode the linked memories. Here, we show that locus coeruleus (LC) cells projecting to dCA1 have a key permissive role in contextual memory linking, without affecting contextual memory formation, and that this effect is mediated by dopamine. Additionally, we found that LC-to-dCA1-projecting neurons modulate the excitability of dCA1 neurons and the extent of overlap between dCA1 memory ensembles as well as the stability of coactivity patterns within these ensembles. This discovery of a neuromodulatory system that specifically affects memory linking without affecting memory formation reveals a fundamental separation between the brain mechanisms modulating these two distinct processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ananya Chowdhury
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alessandro Luchetti
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Giselle Fernandes
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Daniel Almeida Filho
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - George Kastellakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas (FORTH), Vassilica Vouton, PO Box 1527, GR 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Alexandra Tzilivaki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas (FORTH), Vassilica Vouton, PO Box 1527, GR 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin Germany
- Neurocure Cluster of Excellence Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Erica M Ramirez
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Mary Y Tran
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Panayiota Poirazi
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas (FORTH), Vassilica Vouton, PO Box 1527, GR 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Departments of Neurobiology, Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, and Psychology, Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, and Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Lead contact
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47
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Desmercieres S, Lardeux V, Longueville JE, Hanna M, Panlilio LV, Thiriet N, Solinas M. A self-adjusting, progressive shock strength procedure to investigate resistance to punishment: Characterization in male and female rats. Neuropharmacology 2022; 220:109261. [PMID: 36152690 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Indifference to harmful consequences is one of the main characteristics of compulsive behaviors and addiction. Animal models that provide a rapid and effective measure of resistance to punishment could be critical for the investigation of mechanisms underlying these maladaptive behaviors. Here, analogous to the progressive ratio (PR) procedure widely used to evaluate appetitive motivation as the response requirement is increased, we developed a self-adjusting, progressive shock strength (PSS) procedure. The PSS provides, within a single session, a break point that quantifies the propensity to work for a reward in spite of receiving electric footshock that progressively increases in duration. In both male and female rats, the PSS break point was sensitive to 1) hunger; and 2) changes in the qualitative, but not quantitative, incentive value of the reward. In systematic comparisons between PSS and PR procedures in the same rats, we found that both measures are sensitive to manipulations of motivational states, but they are not intercorrelated, suggesting that they measure overlapping but partially distinct processes. Importantly, the PSS procedure represents a refinement in the 3Rs principles of animal research because animals can control the strength of shock that they are willing to tolerate. This self-adjusting PSS procedure may represent a useful tool to investigate mechanisms underlying maladaptive behavior that persists in certain individuals despite harmful consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stevenson Desmercieres
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire des Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Virginie Lardeux
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire des Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Jean-Emmanuel Longueville
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire des Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Myriam Hanna
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire des Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Leigh V Panlilio
- Real-world Assessment, Prediction, and Treatment Unit, Translational Addiction Medicine Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nathalie Thiriet
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire des Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France
| | - Marcello Solinas
- Université de Poitiers, INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire des Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Poitiers, France.
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48
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Paquelet GE, Carrion K, Lacefield CO, Zhou P, Hen R, Miller BR. Single-cell activity and network properties of dorsal raphe nucleus serotonin neurons during emotionally salient behaviors. Neuron 2022; 110:2664-2679.e8. [PMID: 35700737 PMCID: PMC9575686 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The serotonin system modulates a wide variety of emotional behaviors and states, including reward processing, anxiety, and social interaction. To reveal the underlying patterns of neural activity, we visualized serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN5-HT) of mice using miniaturized microscopy during diverse emotional behaviors. We discovered ensembles of cells with highly correlated activity and found that DRN5-HT neurons are preferentially recruited by emotionally salient stimuli as opposed to neutral stimuli. Individual DRN5-HT neurons responded to diverse combinations of salient stimuli, with some preference for valence and sensory modality. Anatomically defined subpopulations projecting to either a reward-related structure (the ventral tegmental area) or an anxiety-related structure (the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis) contained all response types but were enriched in reward- and anxiety-responsive cells, respectively. Our results suggest that the DRN serotonin system responds to emotional salience using ensembles with mixed selectivity and biases in downstream connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E Paquelet
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Kassandra Carrion
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Clay O Lacefield
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Pengcheng Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Statistics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - René Hen
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Bradley R Miller
- Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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49
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Baruni J, Luo L. Illuminating complexity in serotonin neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus. Neuron 2022; 110:2519-2521. [PMID: 35981523 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The function of serotonin in the mammalian brain has been challenging to unravel. In this issue of Neuron, Paquelet et al. (2022) employ microendoscopy to record over 2,000 dorsal raphe serotonin neurons, yielding new insights into their activity from the single neuron to the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalal Baruni
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Liqun Luo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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50
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Shine JM, O’Callaghan C, Walpola IC, Wainstein G, Taylor N, Aru J, Huebner B, John YJ. Understanding the effects of serotonin in the brain through its role in the gastrointestinal tract. Brain 2022; 145:2967-2981. [DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The neuromodulatory arousal system imbues the nervous system with the flexibility and robustness required to facilitate adaptive behaviour. While there are well-understood mechanisms linking dopamine, noradrenaline and acetylcholine to distinct behavioural states, similar conclusions have not been as readily available for serotonin. Fascinatingly, despite clear links between serotonergic function and cognitive capacities as diverse as reward processing, exploration, and the psychedelic experience, over 95% of the serotonin in the body is released in the gastrointestinal tract, where it controls digestive muscle contractions (peristalsis). Here, we argue that framing neural serotonin as a rostral extension of the gastrointestinal serotonergic system dissolves much of the mystery associated with the central serotonergic system. Specifically, we outline that central serotonin activity mimics the effects of a digestion/satiety circuit mediated by hypothalamic control over descending serotonergic nuclei in the brainstem. We review commonalities and differences between these two circuits, with a focus on the heterogeneous expression of different classes of serotonin receptors in the brain. Much in the way that serotonin-induced peristalsis facilitates the work of digestion, serotonergic influences over cognition can be reframed as performing the work of cognition. Extending this analogy, we argue that the central serotonergic system allows the brain to arbitrate between different cognitive modes as a function of serotonergic tone: low activity facilitates cognitive automaticity, whereas higher activity helps to identify flexible solutions to problems, particularly if and when the initial responses fail. This perspective sheds light on otherwise disparate capacities mediated by serotonin, and also helps to understand why there are such pervasive links between serotonergic pathology and the symptoms of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ishan C Walpola
- Prince of Wales Hospital , Randwick, New South Wales , Australia
| | | | | | - Jaan Aru
- University of Tartu , Tartu , Estonia
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